Thank you for introducing me to the work of Zaha Hadid and Kazuyo Sejima

I was saddened to read the passing of Zaha Hadid from this site http://studio-sejima-vienna.com/ which I followed up by reading the account of her life on Wired http://www.wired.com/2016/03/tracing-legacy-zaha-hadid-architectures-esteemed-anomaly/

In a 21st Century world there is only architects and not female architects and a 21st Century view is about appreciating the talent of the human being. That we look upon talent as a division, whether that division is gender, race, age or whatever is a viewpoint that is not of the 21st Century thinker. That mind belongs to the past and yes, that past still lives with us, but the present is the birth of 21st Century thinkers, and in that future I trust. In the 21st Century it is a human club - not the Boys Club that is a product of past centuries. Whoever signs up for this view of the world transforms our world with 21st Century thinking.

It is the thinking that fascinates me, so an architect like Jan Gehl, is one I admire because of what he addresses https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxywJRJVzJs and not because he is a he. If we are to truly design the future, we change our own mental architecture and in so doing inspire a new one.

8 Advantages of Using Straw Bales to Build your HouseStraw bales are an extraordinary material for building, Straw bale construction is superbly energy efficient, environmentally safe, easy to work with, and can be used to build structures that are durable, innovative, and beautiful. Straw houses...

This is most interesting, Claire Caldwell. I didn't know there were so many benefits to building with straw. I thought the flammability would be an issue but perhaps if it is densely baled, then it's possibility is reduced.

#5 Thanks for tagging me @Ken Boddie. Natural materials and building techniques are one of my favourite subjects regarding civil engineering. There are many research papers on straw bale published by large standards organizations like ASTM, as well as many academic journal papers. In US and Canada, as far as I know, the Straw Bale Construction Building Codes have been adopted in 2013. Thanks for interesting article @Claire Cardwell.

#7 Thanks, Ken @Ken Boddie. My memories are 20-yrs old, of course, the situation might have changed since. But alas, at the time, this would only happen in rural areas, while urban communities were awash in concrete, owing to the fact that the local elites had shares in cement factories and... well, you get the logic. The concrete of course is susceptible to mildew, tends to crumble after a while and does not "breathe" well, not to mention how ugly it looks when big black living blotches overtake it randomly... So that glorious building tradition was on the brink of extinction. I hope and prey it will enjoy a revival.

Great observation, @Maja Vujovic. Certainly Sri Lanka has a history of impressive structures and technology. I remember touring there in the 1970s and being particularly impressed by the ruins of Anuradhapura. #6

I've seen many traditionally built houses when I lived in Sri Lanka, and seen people first-hand erect them very quickly. The prevalent material there is straw mixed with dung, which of course dries up in the sun and gives off no odours. It's also very easy to patch up any cracks over time. You wouldn't believe the solid shade and coolness this provides inside, without any mildew anywhere. And Sri Lanka is very humid, plus battered with monsoon twice yearly, for months on end.

Fascinating. I wonder how they would hold up in a humid climate though. I am guessing quite well since as you mention, thatched roofs have long been used in England - Hence Margaret Thatcher came from a family tree of thatchers.

I could've thought that this kind of material would be very flamable but now I see the solution for this, it's interesting how much materials are coming up for sustainable projects. I think that these kind of techniques should be taken to 3rd world countries in a massive way so people can start having a roof over their heads. Great share @Claire Cardwell

Interesting concept, Claire. As with all innovative materials, I suspect it may be hard to establish as an alternative concept for large scale housing, outside the one-off novelty, without credible research regarding its longterm durability, strength, fire resistance, resistance to insects, etc. Has much research been done in South Africa on these aspects and is there any sign of it being adopted with any confidence as a viable alternative to more conventional materials?